Children of War
by raven-ink
Summary: AU! old title: No Time for Goodbye. This FF is about azarath's youth rebelling. Rachelle is in the middle of the chaos and she's seen too much. When a seemingly harmless boy gets in her way and refuses to leave, things change. rated for language.
1. Chapter 1

Life was a hell hole. This once safe, clean city has diminished into the gates of hell. The proud sturdy buildings were crumbling. The alleyways and streets were littered with trash, drugs, crime, and graffiti. The air was polluted and hard to breathe. Even though I was 16, I smoked and that felt healthier for my lungs than the air did. Most of the teenagers, 13 and up, smoked because nobody could tell us not to and it's not like it could make life worse. Drugs were another big issue. But I wasn't in to that.

The government had finally caused its own destruction. The police were of no use seeing as though their corrupt minds thirst for power, and bloodshed was the only way to quench it. They abused their power and now they are merely men in meaningless uniforms that have access to weapons. And this was the reason I stood here, confused and fearful.

I watched from behind a car at the scene of hate filled teenagers rebelling against the corrupt police. The screams were strangling the air. The sounds of homemade bombs going off and shattering glass surrounded me. The smell of smoke, gun powder, and blood overwhelmed me. I watched as a young boy flung a rock at the oncoming police.

"Fuck you!" The boy screamed. His face twisted into hatred.

Another older boy screamed pleas of help as four policemen circled him and beat him with their clubs.

"Freedom!" Cried a rebel. I could see his veins pressing against his neck as he shouted his battle cry.

I heard a muffled crying. It seemed like the crying belonged to a small child, maybe a baby. It was then that I looked inside the car, that I was seeking refuge behind, for the first time. A little girl was strapped into her car seat. Her deep grey eyes filled with paralyzing fear. I looked in horror at the driver's seat and found the mother of the girl lying limb over the steering wheel. A small stream of blood ran down the side of her face. Looking back at the small child I reached for the door handle.

All of a sudden heat consumed me followed by an ear splitting sound. I flew into the brick wall behind me. My body fell to the hard ground. My head ached and my ears were ringing. My head felt a thousand pounds heavier as I lifted it up. In front of me was the car I had used as my shield now in flames. I started to scream remembering the little girl.

Out of now where blind hatred consumed me. All I wanted to do was pick up a rock and through it with all my might at someone. I wanted to empty my lungs and scream out into the night, letting the hatred escape through my breath.

"_What the hell has our lives become?" _I thought disgusted.

I ran out from behind the flaming car. I scooped up a good sized chuck of concrete blown from a building and lifted my hand above my head. I looked for a target. I heard another shout for help. I turned towards the sound. As soon as I found the source of the pleading, a boy my age kneeling at the feet of three policemen who had a gun pointed at his face, a shot could be heard through the chaos and the kneeling boy stared blankly ahead with fear and pleading still on his face as he fell on the side of is face. His head was turned to me, and I could see the wound where the bullet had entered into his forehead. I dropped the chuck of concrete that was in my hand. That was the final straw. I had to get out of here before I ended up like the rest.

Instinctively, I picked up my feet and began to run. But I felt something grab my ankle. I smashed into the ground. My face scraped the cement. I shrieked knowing I had been caught and soon I was either going to be beaten to death or shot. I felt someone pulling me toward them. I kicked but didn't make contact with anything. My captor pulled me to my feet as I screamed. I thrashed and tried to break free from his grip. My eyes were squeezed shut and my breath was coming up short. I wanted to scream out again, to cry for help, but my voice had deserted me.

I heard the noises get a little fainter so I opened my eyes. I found that I was in an alleyway not too far from the riot.

"Jesus, you're feisty." Came a deep voice from behind.

"Let go of me!" I screamed flinging my body side to side. My back hit the damp alley wall while two hands pinned me there.

" Listen to me…" He tried to reason. I gave up, looking at the dark figure in front of me.

I couldn't see much, but it wasn't a police officer. He was a boy maybe a year older than myself and definitely taller.

"Listen, I need your help…."

I looked at the shadow in front of me, completely confused. My thoughts were scrambled and it was like my mind was clouded over with fog. I couldn't think straight. I knew that people were dying out there; I knew that I could defiantly become one of them, and I knew that some stranger was in front of me asking for my help…but I also knew that he was not the enemy, he was a teammate. A partner in war.

I looked back at his face. It was covered by shadows, so I still could not see him. I couldn't help but question, why me? It made me a tad skeptical. I mean there were hundreds of people to drag away into this alley…why me?

My look hardened. Mu muscles tensed.

"What kind of help-" I didn't finish because he cut me off.

"Shhh…" He stiffened.

"Wha-" I tried again but he interrupted me, again.

"Shut up!" He hissed covering my mouth.

I grabbed his wrists trying to pull his hand away. He ignored me. He looked to his right as if he saw something. My heart started to speed up. I started to think of the worst possibility.

"_It's an officer…we're caught…I'm dead…" _

He looked back at me. He lifted his index finger to his lips, signaling me to be quiet. I slowly nodded my head. He carefully lifted his hand from my mouth.

He light footedly took three steps towards the opening of the alleyway. I didn't move. Another bomb went off a little ways away, I jumped at the sound. I could hear the debris rain down after the blast. I closed my eyes trying to focus.

"Psst!" I looked up. He was motioning for me to follow.

Hesitantly, I took a step forward. He kept motioning to me. I walked faster. As soon I reached the opening where he stood, I could hear the horrific sounds clearer. The shouting, the bombs, the gun fire…

We both leaned our heads out to see if any officers were nearby. Apparently he saw something I didn't because he pulled me back against the wall using his body to pin me. He clamped his hand around my mouth again. When I heard and saw no danger close by us, I slapped his hand away annoyed that he was so physical.

"Stop doing that!" I spat, venom dripping from my voice.

He almost looked amused. Again, it was a little too dark to see what his actual expression was.

"_What the hell am I doing? I don't know what I'm doing here and I don't think I'm getting anywhere closer to escaping." _

I pushed passed him making my get away, but he caught my arm and pulled me back into the shadows for the third time.

"Where are you going?" He demanded.

"Look, you are not helping me get out of this hell. I'm sorry I can't help you, now let me go." I hissed.

I started to push passed again but he stepped into my path. I bumped into him. I took a step back. I stared up at him, angry that he dared to block me.

"Who are you to A) touch me and B) stop me from leaving?" I yelled through my teeth. I pushed him with my hands on his chest. I shoved him and to my surprise I actually moved him three steps back. He was now in the light and out of the alley. He looked down at me with no emotion, like a statue. His jaw line was set in stone…almost like he was clenching it.

"You two, over there!" A deep voice boomed.

My heart skipped five beats. I froze up, my logic, feet, and mind went numb and I could not move. To my absolute astonishment, the guy, that I didn't even know his name, yanked me behind him in a **very** protective manner.

Not that I wasn't thankful that I had some protection, but he didn't even know me!

I tried to see over him, but he was way too tall so I looked around him. There were two policemen. Only one had his gun out the other was behind him ready to beat us to death with his club. They both were walking towards us.

I wanted to run, I wanted be far away, I wanted to not think about how in a few minutes we would be dead, just another two limp bodies for people to forget, just another two bodies for people to step over.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I refused to watch as the officers proceeded towards us, bloodthirsty. I could feel the boy's body in front of me tense up. I knew he was thinking the same thing.

"What now? It looks to me that you've got no where to go." One policeman teased.

Neither one of us answered.

"Back…up…slowly…" He carefully whispered over his shoulder. He said it so quietly, I almost didn't hear him. I felt him take a micro-step backwards. I did too. We slowly, very slowly, backed up until I hit the brick wall of the alleyway. But he kept backing up, closing the space between us.

"What are you doing?" I whispered hoarsely.

"Trust me." He replied simply.

The policemen had fanned out, blocking the alleyway opening. They took confident steps towards what seemed to be the death of us.

"On a count of three…jump." He whispered cautiously.

"What?" I hissed a little too loudly.

"JUST," He paused and lowered his whisper, "Just do it."

It was only then that I looked up. It was like a miracle. There, above us, was the fire escape. I almost let myself think we could escape.

"One…two…"

I felt him reach back and place one hand on my waist.

"Three!" He quickly spun around and as I jumped he grabbed me fully and with great forced, thrust me up. I took hold of the ladder before gravity to bring me back to the ground.

"Damn it! Get them!" Shrieked an officer as he fired his gun. My heart skipped a beat as I felt and heard a bullet miss my head and hit the bar of the ladder, making a clanking sound. I almost let go as an instinct. I climbed the ladder as fast as I could. I pulled myself onto the platform. I didn't distract myself by looking below at the scene. Instead I unlatched the ladder. I heard a loud clang as it reached its full length.

"Don't let them get away!" Yelled another officer.

Shots were ringing out and echoing off the ally walls. In a moment of weakness, I looked down. The officers were spread out and aiming the guns. The man who had protected me had caught onto the ladder but he was having trouble pulling his lower body up.

"Shit! My gun's out of ammo." Cried one policeman. He threw his gun on the ground. At this moment, my comrade had successfully begun to climb.

"I got a perfect shot," Announced another officer aiming his sniper.

I wanted to scream "no", but my voice ran away from me. Everything went into slow motion before me. It was like I could see the bullet spring from the gun and slice through the air. I looked down at the boy who had saved me. He was climbing the ladder to the fire escape, unbeknownst to him of the bullet barreling towards him. My mind was spinning, my palms were damp, and my breath was uneven.

People say that when panic sets in and the adrenaline pulses through a person, there is a split second \when the adrenaline rush caused supper strength. Well, as I watch that boy moments from getting killed, panic set in and I reached down and grasped his wrist with both my hands and pulled with every damn muscle in my body. My limited super strength must have been triggered because I found myself with strength I never knew I could possess.

And then, just like that, my world went from slow motion to fast forwards and everything became a blur. I heard a yell. I felt a pain as a hand grabbed my forearm and yanked me up the fire escape. I knew that there must have been bullets whizzing past our heads, but I did not hear them. I almost tripped over m own feet but the hand held me up and kept dragging me up the steps. I wanted to go faster, but with every second I felt like my legs weighed ten more pounds.

After what seemed a million stairs, we stumbled onto the roof of the building. It was only until then that I realized how hard my heart was pounding. I swear to the lord on high, it was going to burst.

"Keep running!" I heard him yell to me.

But the world around me was growing fuzzier and then it began to spin. I wanted to warn him that I was going to fall, but when I tried to speak not even a mere whisper came through my lips. Our footsteps, the bullets, the screams, the bombs…everything grew faint and all I could hear was my heavy breathing as it came up shorter and shorter. I felt my legs go numb. I blacked out before I hit the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

I could feel myself gain conciseness as feeling poured into me. I felt as if I was waking up from a long night's sleep. I could hear movement around me and I could hear another's person's deep breathing but besides that it was quiet. Gradually, I began to realize that something was missing, something was definitely off. It felt draftier than normal. I slightly moved my feet and they bumped into the shoes encasing them. Obviously, I wasn't missing my boots. I placed my hand on my leg. I could feel my jeans. Suddenly it hit me; what I was missing.

"Where's my-" As I swiftly sat up, a slicing pain cut through my chest causing me to stop in the middle of my demand. I let out a scream as the pain rippled through my body. I clenched my eyes shut as if it would make the pain go away.

I felt two strong, warm hands gently but firmly push my back down onto my back.

"Calm down. I don't want you to hurt yourself." Came a familiar voice.

Still tense, I opened my eyes to glare at the boy whom was standing beside me.

"Where…is…my…shirt?" I pushed through my lips.

He grinned a questionable grin. It was almost cocky with a hint of mischievousness in it. I could see in his face that he held back a chuckle. This only fed the fire growing inside me.

"Here," He said holding up my black shirt.

I opened my mouth ready to smite him with my tongue, but I was so furious that I was at a loss of words. So I continued to do the damage with my eyes. I stared daggers at him whishing the metaphor would become literal.

"Nothing to say to me?" He teased throwing the shirt casually over the back of a wooden chair.

I then became aware of my surroundings. We were in a small room with a chair, on which my shirt rested on, a table with an old book stuffed under it's right leg to balance its uneven legs, a window with its curtains drawn, and the stiff iron bed that I was lying on.

I sighed as the pain subsided to a mild sting. I placed my hand carefully where my shirt should have been. I was relieved beyond belief to find bandages wrapped from just above my belly button to my chest, so I was concealed.

"We have to leave as soon as possible. So try to ease up on your wound for now so we can get the hell out of here." He said lifting up the fabric that covered the window to take a peek outside.

"_We_?" I breathed still lying on the bed with my eyes closed.

"Yes, we. I saved you so you owe me this." He retorted turning towards me.

My eyes shot open and I sat up, carefully this time.

"I saved you, too. Remember? I pulled you up! What would I owe you anyway?" I tried my hardest to keep my voice steady, but I could help raising its volume.

"Yeah, but I saved your sorry butt after you got shot and fainted. 1 you 2 me. I win. My trophy is your corporation." He said haughtily, walking closer.

"I was shot?" I said losing focus on the argument.

"Why do you think I bandaged you? Do you really think I would just take your shirt off to wrap you up just for fun?" He paused and smiled to himself. " Well…I can't complain…"

My cheeks burned as they flushed red. I felt the anger refill me. This time, it over took me and I ignored the increasing pain as I swung my legs over the bed and stood up. I marched over to where he stood, looking at me smiling.

"You are going to be sorry. " I said looking up at him. I intensified my glare. "You are going to wish you never even saw me."

He didn't even stop smirking. It bugged me how untouchable he was. He just stood there looking down at me and grinning. I didn't take my eyes off him. Neither did he. He trailed his eyes up my body, grinning like a fool.

"Agh!" I yelled throwing my fist at him, which he easily dodged, laughing. I stormed passes him a grabbed my shirt and knocking over the chair. I thrust it over my head and yanked it down.

"You have quite the temper." He mused watching me.

I rolled my eyes dramatically.

"I'm leaving." I declared marching towards the door.

"N-n-n-no." He said sliding past me and blocking my exit.

"Move." I warned icily.

"You know you have a real attitude." He pushed.

"You are responsible for any harm I do to you." I hissed.

He closed his mouth. I thought I had won, but to my dismay I was proved wrong.

I saw him bend down. He grasped my legs and began to stand back up. I shrieked as I fell over his shoulder, hanging like a potato sack.

"Let go! You're hurting me!" I yelled. I could feel my bandages soak.

"My wound re-opened! Let me down you jackass!" I screamed pounding on is back with one fist and trying to push free with the other.

He let me fall onto the bed. I bounced up once and came back down with a cry from the springs.

"Here, let me see." He said still laughing.

"Don't. Touch. Me." I was done. I was fed up with his adolescent games. I didn't give a care that he rescued me, or whatever the hell he thought he did.

I sat up and pulled my shirt up, revealing blood stained bandages. I winced as the pain increased.

I watched him walk to the table and pick up a roll of bandages. He walked back over to me, his lips no longer pulled up at the edges.

He carefully sat beside me and shifted so that he faced me completely. He gently lifted my shirt all the way to take a better look.

"So, now you care." I said sarcastically. I leaned forward.

He didn't say anything. He tenderly began to unwrap the bloody bandage.

It was silent for a long time. I winced as he rhythmically unwound the bandage.

"You know," I said wincing again. "I still don't know your name."

I saw him smile.

"Richard." He said with his cocky smirk. "Turn." He instructed pushing me around so that my back was to him so he could unraveled the rest of the bandages and not see anything I didn't want him to see. "Here," He said taking of his shirt and throwing it to me. I quickly put it on.

"Thanks." I said quietly. "I'm Rachelle." I added.


	3. note

Hey everybody, I'm so sorry that I'm taking so long to update. I had final this week and it's been HELL. Anyway, long story short, I left my hard copy of the story in my sketchbook and I turned my sketchbook into my teacher. So, yeah… I think I have a problem. So I honestly sorry to say that it may take longer to write this next chapter, but don't give up on me people! Please! Thanks for reading.

-Hayden


	4. Chapter 3

It had been about four or five hours since we left the motel just outside of Azarath. Richard rather forcibly dragged me out of there. Now I found myself in the back of an old farm pick-up. Richard had hitched us a ride from a semi-friendly farmer who was headed out of Azarath to go join his family in safer parts, well that's what he told us…

It wasn't exactly easy to keep a calm composer when we were being bounced around and little specs of mud and hay were threatening to fly into our eyes. I was especially irritable because I was trying with all my will power to not think about a specific moment that occurred in the motel room; when I had bled through my bandages and Richard had kindly changed them and gave me his shirt to wear because my other one was sopping with blood…not comfortable to wear. But that wasn't what was really bugging me. It was the image of him…without his shirt on…I was so ashamed of myself and my hormones. I never really hated the hormonally-unstable state the I was in, being I was a teenage girl I sat near the cabin of the truck with my back up against it and my knees drawn up. I tried not to think of how uncomfortable I was physically and with the situation in general. Richard sat across from me. His back was up against the tail gate. He had one leg extended and the other drawn up in front of him with his right arm leisurely slung over his knee. Despite the obvious uneasiness of the situation, he looked fairly comfortable. He reached down and picked up a long strand of dried wheat or grass of some sort and placed it loosely between his lips. When he saw me looking at him he made a side smirk and I thought I even saw him wink.

"Why do you have to do that?" I complained.

"Do what?" He pretended to be offended.

I rolled my eyes. He was such a child.

"Why do you insist on acting like a jerk?" I tried again.

"All I did was smile and wink!" He defended himself trying to mask his smirk.

"Exactly!" You know that pisses me off!"

"Why does it piss you off?" He asked relaxed and spinning the grass between his fingers and chewing on the tip in his mouth.

To be honest, I did expect that. It took me by surprise. I mean the answer was so obvious…it was annoying…he was annoying. He must have seen my puzzled look because he waved his hand in front of my face trying to bring me back to reality and get my attention. I brought my eyes up to his face, looking annoyed.

"You know what I think it is?" He said getting all haughty.

I didn't answer. I didn't care what he thought and I was too tired to try and make that clear.

"I think you like being miss-long-face-and-furrowed-brow. Not once since I met you have- "

"You mean not once since you rudely barged into my life! I was much better off when I didn't know you. And another thing, you are in no position to tell me you judgments about me. You haven't known me long enough to do that." I raised my voice.

I felt a little hypocritical retorting that at him when I had indeed made a few of my own judgments about him. However, my judgments were not nearly has bold as his.

He didn't answer me. He kept staring at me and smiling, like he felt victorious. I looked passed him, trying to ignore his gaze. The dialogue between us ceased and all I could hear was the wind passing us and the rustic truck getting jostled by the brutal dirt road blemished with pot holes. The scenery was floating by; the barren ground cracked with uprooting trees, sparse grass, and the few ancient trees lining the road that spread their lengthy fingers across the road, providing shade.

I looked back at Richard in a moment of weakness. He was still looking at me, but a bit more thoughtfully this time and there was no trace of a grin on his face. I tilted my head back until I made contact with the back of the truck's cabin. I didn't break the stare. Now it was my turn. I wanted to show how it felt to be judged and watched like he did to me. I watched him as he shifted his position. Now he had his arms crossed and his legs both down and one over the other.

I wanted so badly to get into his head and invade his privacy by prying at him. The longer I watched him, the more a certain query began to materialize in my brain. It became more apparent to me why I was so irritable.

"Why did you grab me? You had a crap load of people to drag off into that alley…why me?" I asked calmly like this was a casual conversation.

He looked at me for the first time like I had actually taken the lead. For the first time I had taken him by surprise. If I had known this question would have this affect on him, I would have asked it way earlier. But then all emotion was swept clean of his face and his resumed with his passive ways.

"Long story." He said simply.

"Obviously, I have time." I hissed.

"I don't wanna tell." He sighed.

Now he was just _trying_ to piss me off.

"I wish that damn tail gate would unlatch…" I cursed under my breath, imagining him rolling out of the back of the truck.

"You know you really do have a temper…" He mused.

"God damn it, Richard!" I yelled getting to my feet. I held on to the roof of the truck for support.

I was so angry that I was at loss for words. He had pushed one to many of my buttons and I was putting my foot down…I wanted to put my foot down right on his face.

But in all my rage and my being blinded by anger…the only reaction I could think of to do was unfortunately not very bold. I reached down yanked that piece of dried grass out of his mouth and through it over the truck's edge.

"Ouch." He said sarcastically, looking up at me innocently.

Just as I began to spin around, the truck hit a deep hole and I lost my footing completely, falling into an oh-so graceful heap on the truck bed's floor. I felt my head whack against something hard. It took me a moment to come back to my senses and realize the vehicle was slowing down, probably because the sound of my fall alarmed the driver.

"It's fine. She just tripped over herself." Richard called to the driver who immediately resumed normal speed.

"I hope you didn't re-open that wound of yours." Richard said scooting closer towards me.

"Like you care," I spat viciously. My head was ringing and I could feel a major head ache coming on. I squeezed my eyes.

"I do. That's would be why I said 'I hope you didn't re-open your wound'."

I pushed myself up onto my elbows. When the dizziness faded, I pushed myself onto my palms and opened my eyes, and soon becoming aware how I had just pushed myself up, thus closing in the distance between Richard and me. Our faces were mere centimeters apart. For a moment I was to mortified to moved or even breathe. All I could see was his face in front of mine and his breath on my face. My reaction came too late as I pushed his face away from me with my hand palming his face.

He was smiling when I took my hand away.

"Ugh. Don't you ever stop smiling?" I groaned.

"Heh, nope," He smiled.

-------------------------------------------

I am so sorry for the wait. Seriously, I hope you guys haven't lost interest. To make it up to you I have actually not only updated one chapter…but a couple

I hope everyone had a great holiday vacation and that the only flaw was that it was too short.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

I lay on my back and watched the stars move passed as we made our way further from Azarath. My hands were laying on my chest and I could feel my own heart beat. Thump…thump…thump. I was much more relaxed and I probably owed it to the calming affects of the night's shade and air. I had gotten used to all the bumps and jolts that The truck underwent and I no longer felt them as harshly as before. My head still hurt a little from hitting it, and my side was also stinging ever so slightly from my wound. The humming from the truck's engine filled my eyes, lulling me.

Richard had also spread out on the truck's bed and lay on his back. He folded his arms behind his head and was now starring out into the vast mystery we call space. I was very proud of myself for ignoring Richard about his taking most of the space. I heard him exhale slowly, breaking the night's sound.

I wondered how much longer we would be in the back of this pick-up truck, hitchhiking our way around. The fact that our destination wasn't definite excited me. We were just leaving…we weren't confined by any laws of any aspect. But soon that thought grew into a worry. Where were we going? Would it be safe? Would it be an improvement? What if Richard knew where we were going and was just not telling me? I drifted off into one big worry land full of question marks.

Richard sighed again. I could see Richard in my peripheral vision. I could see his breath in the black air. I brought my knee up to my chest, curling into a ball, trying to get warm.

"Cold?" Richard asked, his deep voice sliced through the silence.

I wanted to retort a sarcastic comment that illustrated the phrase "duh", but I was way too cold and tired to even try.

"Yeah." I mumbled.

The silence re-inhabit the space between us. I closed my eyes and even then I could see the stars. It was so idyllic, the picture painted on the back of my eyelids. I could see the vast dark sky and the moon and the stars that complimented it. A purple tint washed over the horizon in the distance.

I began to feel my senses dwindle and all the sounds around me blurred into an ominous sound. I was so happy to actually get some sleep. It felt like it had been years since I had gotten any rest.

It was a sudden bump that the car rolled over tat woke me up. I immediately noticed how warm I was and how cold my face felt. I sat up. A jacket slid of me and onto my lap. I picked it up.

"This isn't mine…" I looked over at Richard who was asleep as I had been a few minutes before. He was missing an article of clothing, his jacket.

'_Damn it! Why is he being nice! That means I have to be nice back…'_ I cursed in my head. I started to feel guilty. It was thoughtful, but come on…IT'S RICHARD!

I pulled the jacket around my shoulders and I pushed my arms through the arm holes. It was defiantly too big for me, but the bottom line, it was warm.

I looked out and realized that we had definitely made progress from our last destination. Now the landscape consisted of rolling hills that grew into mountains as the eye traveled towards the distance. The road was still dirt and on the right side of the road was a field of overgrown weeds and grass. The sky was still a dark blue but a hint of pink glowed over the horizon as if to announce the morning sun.

I sat with my back against the one of the walls of the truck bed and watched the sunrise. It seemed like only a couple of minutes before the sun showed its rays and began to ascend in to the sky.

Sometime later, I heard Richard stir. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes with his fists and squinted at the sun before turning his head towards me.

"Have a good sleep?" He asked yawning.

"It was ok..." I mumbled. "But I woke up really warm…" I ended with a smile. I didn't want him to think I was ungrateful.

He smiled back and looked out at the mountains.

"You want your jacket back?" I asked feeling guilty that he slept in a short sleeved short.

"Nah, you keep it." He said not even bothering to turn around to look at me.

I leaned back, looking up at the sky that was being invaded by big grey clouds that were rolling in from the north.

"I think it might rain…" Richard stated.

I sighed. Just as I began to lift my head up from its position, a rain drop splattered on my nose.

"I told you." Richard said haughtily as he laughed at the coincidence.

"Don't be so smug. I have the warmth." I retorted.

"Oh yeah?" Richard said starting to move towards me.

"Don't you dare. Don't you touch me!" I warned, scooting away and knotting my arms across my chest so it was harder for him to seize the jacket…if he tried. As he came at me, smile like the fool he was, the vehicle slowed to a stop. We both ceased movement. The driver's door opened and the man stepped out and walked towards us.

"I saw a couple of drops on my window shield. It ain't gonna be long before the heavens open up. Do ya kids wanna ride with me?" He asked shoving his hands into his jeans.

"Thank you, sir. That would be great." Richard responded standing to his feet. He swung his long legs over the edge of the truck and hopped onto the ground.

"Ya wanna come, young lady?" The man said, smiling.

"Oh…uh… yeah..." I got up. Richard offered his hand up as an aid to help me down. I looked at him skeptically. I didn't know why he was being such a gentlemen all of a sudden. But because I didn't want to be outwardly rude in front of our driver, I accepted his help and placed my hand in his. He grasp it and then grabbed m forearms and helped my down.

Me and Richard walked around the right of the truck as the man went back to his driver seat. Richard opened the door. I immediately saw the problem. The truck had a driver's and passenger's seat. Translation: only TWO seats!

"There's only two seats." I whispered.

"Oh well…I guess you have to sit on my lap." Richard grinned as he stepped into the truck and took the only seat left. I glared at him.

"Scoot over." I demanded starring at him with an intense gaze.

He laughed.

"Get in."

"Scoot."

"We're going to leave you behind if you don't get in." Richard smiled, his eyes sparkled playfully.

"You are going to get it…" I hissed stepping into the car and awkwardly positioning myself on his lap. He leaned out and grabbed the door handle and swung it shut.

And with that, we were off on what was sure to be an awkward car ride with our driver and me on Richard's lap…Oh….crap…


	6. Chapter 5

I was so uncomfortable, it was unbelievable. I never thought that I would be in this position…on Richard's lap. I knew I was tense and I could feel myself lean forwards as much as I could. Not only was I not comfortable physically, but the atmosphere was drowning in awkward silence. The man that I assumed farmed…or formally had farmed was driving us in silence. He every once in a while looked over at us and then refocused on the road.

"You look tense, are you okay?" The man asked me.

I knew that Richard was suppressing a laugh. He was loving this.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." I half smiled at him.

The small space fell in silence, again. The hum of the truck's ancient engine was the only thing keeping me sane in all the quiet.

The truck hit another pump and the car jolted up. I slammed back into Richard.

"_Now_ she's comfortable." Richard laughed.

I rolled my eyes and elbowed Richard.

"You are such a jerk." I whispered.

"So are you two meeting your parents or family elsewhere?" The man asked glancing at us.

"Oh, we aren't related, sir." Richard smiled.

"Oh, pardon me." He giggled. "You kids just seemed so close."

I thought that was bad enough, but I was so wrong…

"Well then, you guys sure make a cute couple."

I just about died. I wanted to yell "hell no" but I was too shocked and embarrassed. Richard saw my mortified look. His whole body was shaking with his chuckles.

"Yes…" He laughed. "Yes we do."

My mouth dropped open and I looked at him with hate in my eyes.

"You. Are. Dead." I mouthed.

He grinned and put his arm around my shoulder. I batted it away.

"So, are you meeting family in the next town?" Richard asked turning his head towards the man.

"Well, yeah. My daughter and her husband and their daughter are wait'n for me." He said smiling and revealing his teeth, or lack thereof.

As the two men struck up a conversation about stuff that was so trivial I completely lost interest by the third sentence, I stared down out the window at the road. It was like I was hypnotized. I stared, unblinking at nothing, just thinking. I wondered if I would miss my home in Azarath. I had friends but we weren't so close that I would miss them a lot. I had no family because my mom practically disowned me when I was 14. My dad was never in the picture and I had no siblings. I concluded that I wouldn't miss Azarath. There was nothing there but ruble, bombs, drugs, unhappiness, violence, and bad memories.

"Ow…" I gasped grabbing my ribs. A shot of pain rippled through me.

"What? What happened?" Richard asked sound genuinely worried.

"My wound." I managed to say between my teeth.

"what happened?"

"I don't know!" I squeezed my eyes shut trying to focus on something other than the pain.

"Is she okay?" The old man asked, looking at Richard.

"I think." He turned his attention to me. "I need to see it." He began to lift up my shirt. Y first thought was to slap him, but I knew it wasn't an act of him being deviant. I let him pull it up half way, just enough so he could access the bandage.

"The bandages are bled through. Maybe you did hurt yourself in that fall of yours."

"Don't joke. This hurts. It's not funny." I somberly said.

In spite of my demand, he laughed.

"I need to change it."

He started to unravel my bandage. I flinched.

"Did I hurt you?" Richard froze.

"No, not you, just the wound…" I said quietly.

"Do you have any bandages of any kind in this truck?" He asked the man.

"Sorry, son. But I think I have a T-shirt under that seat you might be able to use."

Richard moved me a little and then bent over to check ounder his seat. He pulled out a white T-shirt. He began to rip it into strips. I thought it would be hard to rip that fabric, but Richard made it look surprisingly easy.

"Hurry up. I don't want this to get infected." I said holding up my shirt so it didn't get bloodied by my wound.

"This should help." He said as he began to wrap the torn shirt around me. After the fresh bandages were fixed and put in place, it felt a lot better.

"Thanks." I said pulling down my shirt.

Richard grinned and sat back in his seat. I rolled up the dirty bandages and rolled down the window and throw them out.

I shifted so that I was half facing Richard with my back leaning against the car door. He looked at me and then turned his attention to the dashboard.

I watched him through my peripheral vision. He looked so stern yet playful…not to through in an unnecessary oxymoron.

Maybe, he wasn't so bad after all. He mostly meant well…he did kindda help me…

Oh what the hell was I thinking, he is so immature, and so annoying…I need to stop trying to sugar coat the reality.

Then I looked back at Richard just in time to see his eyes grow round. He shot forward trying to look out the front window, smashing into me.

"Ahh. Richard!" I yelled annoyed as the impact throw me back into the dashboard and hit my back unusually hard.

"What's that?" Richard asked hurriedly.

"What's what?" I asked rubbing my back were a bruise was forming.

"That!" He yelled, pointing.

I followed his horrified stare. I could barely make it out, but yes, there was something there. And it was NOT good….not at all.


End file.
